


Realization

by Bethynyc



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-16
Updated: 2009-08-16
Packaged: 2017-10-26 01:27:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/277033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bethynyc/pseuds/Bethynyc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For the <a href="http://slashing-lorne.livejournal.com/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://slashing-lorne.livejournal.com/"><b>slashing_lorne</b></a> Summer of Lorne Fest. Set sometime during SGA S2, after <a href="http://bethynycfics.livejournal.com/71688.html">Let It Show</a>. Many thanks to <a href="http://malinaldarose.livejournal.com/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://malinaldarose.livejournal.com/"><b>malinaldarose</b></a> for her beta!</p>
    </blockquote>





	Realization

**Author's Note:**

> For the [](http://slashing-lorne.livejournal.com/profile)[**slashing_lorne**](http://slashing-lorne.livejournal.com/) Summer of Lorne Fest. Set sometime during SGA S2, after [Let It Show](http://bethynycfics.livejournal.com/71688.html). Many thanks to [](http://malinaldarose.livejournal.com/profile)[**malinaldarose**](http://malinaldarose.livejournal.com/) for her beta!

Sheppard always said he never saw it coming. At this moment, Lorne thought he knew the feeling. He paced back and forth in front of the entrance to the infirmary, watching the blurry figures of the medical staff bustle back and forth.

He heard McKay before he saw him, running off at the mouth to Sheppard about the agrarian society they just visited and the idiocy of post-mission checkups when clearly, nothing was wrong that a shower and an all-nighter in the lab couldn't cure. Lorne turned to see the lead team walking down the hallway. Something about the way he was standing must have telegraphed a message to McKay, because he stopped.

“What's wrong? What happened?” Despite the brusque tone, Lorne could tell McKay was now worried.

Lorne shook his head. “R-Zelenka. He was working on one of the jumpers, and...I don't know what happened. I got the call to come down to the jumper bay with the biggest Marines and some engineers.” He finally—finally—sat down on one of the chairs in the hallway. McKay sat next to him, mouth a tight line of anger and worry. “Some sort of...prop or jack or something got out of alignment, and Ra—Dr. Zelenka got trapped under the jumper.”

“But you got him out.” Sheppard stated.

“Yeah, he's in surgery now. Broken thigh and a concussion is all I could get out of the nurses.” Lorne leaned back, letting his head hit the wall with a thump. “I just...hate waiting, you know?”

Carson opened the infirmary door and Lorne jumped up, accidentally knocking against McKay. “I see the wrecking crew has arrived,” quipped the doctor. “Colonel, we'll be ready for your team in a few minutes.”

“How's Radek?” The words rushed out of Evan's mouth before he could stop himself.

With an understanding smile, Carson patted him on the shoulder. “Doing quite well. He won't be waking up for a bit, so if you want to go to your quarters...”

“No.” Evan swallowed, and willed Carson to understand. “I'd like to sit with him. Please.”

Carson nodded, and called for one of the nurses to escort Lorne to the recovery area.

They had put him in one of the isolation rooms—the closest thing they had to a private room. The nurse commented that Dr. Zelenka would need the quiet away from the busy infirmary, but that he would be fine.

Radek looked so small. All sorts of tubes ran in and out of his arms and nose, and wires ran to monitors that beeped and measured vital signs. His eyes were closed, lashes barely visible against the dark circles under his eyes. Evan sat for a long time, just looking at him, as his thoughts tumbled through his head.

They had been together for almost six months. Nothing was ever spoken, but they managed to spend two or three evenings together a week, trading off in one room or another. In public, and almost every aspect of their lives was in public, they greeted each other as 'Major' and 'Doctor' and worked on projects together and were generally discreet.

Evan sighed. Sitting by his lover's bedside was the exact opposite of discreet.

Seeing him like this...seeing how fragile Radek looked in the recovery room, Evan swallowed against the tightness in his throat. He remembered the clench of panic in his stomach when he got the call, the internal undercurrent of _please please let him be all right_ as he gave orders and coordinated efforts and stood next to Elizabeth as she watched the team raise the jumper off Radek's prone and nearly broken body before he was swarmed by medical staff.

He reached out and touched Radek's cold hand. Evan wanted nothing more than to bring it to his cheek and hold it until it warmed and clutched at his own hand. A soft cough came from behind him and he snatched back his hand.

McKay stepped in and stood at the foot of the bed, staring at Radek. Evan glanced at the door, and saw Colonel Sheppard hovering just outside the room. Then McKay looked at Evan and frowned. “When he wakes up, tell him to get back to work before I kill half the science staff,” and strode out of the room. Evan saw Sheppard put a hand on McKay's shoulder, mutter something in his ear as they walked away.

Evan took Radek's hand back.

Time passed. A nurse came in and checked Radek's vital signs. Teyla came in with a tray and insisted, gently, that Evan eat something. He ate carefully, with one eye on the food and the other on Radek.

~~~

He didn't remember dozing off, but woke to feel Radek's fingers moving against his cheek. He sat up and wiped his mouth. “Sorry.”

Radek didn't say anything, just stretched his lips into a weak smile.

“You, you want some water?” At Radek's tiny nod, Evan poured some of the ice water that the nurse brought into a glass and put in a straw. He held it so that Radek didn't have to move, just open his mouth.

Radek drank, eyes never leaving Evan's face. When he finished, he blinked a couple of times. “Strange to see you like this.”

Evan's heart sank to his shoes. “Do you want me to go?” He'd thought, he'd believed, but maybe it _didn't_ go both ways with them...

“No!” Radek reached out, grasping for Evan's hand. “Without glasses!”He squeezed, and Evan was surprised at the strength in his hands. Though, perhaps he shouldn't have been.

He swallowed, and did what he wished to do—brought Radek's hand to his cheek. “I realized something when you got hurt. A few things, actually.”

That brought another watery smile to Radek's face. “Tell me.”

Evan took a deep breath and lowered his hands, still holding Radek's, to the edge of the bed. “First, you are no longer allowed to get hurt. Ever.” Radek's expression wavered between fond and amused at this statement, but he soldiered on. “Next, I'd like to ask you, when you get out of here, if you would consider sharing quarters.”

Radek looked stunned. “You, you want to live together?”

“Yes. If you want to, I mean, I don't want to pressure you, and you don't have to decide right away...” Radek raised his hand and put one finger on Evan's lips to stop the flow of babbling. After a minute, he took the finger away, and Evan smiled. Radek smiled back, and it was the best thing Evan had ever seen.

"When you were under that jumper, I just knew. That my feelings for you are really strong.” Evan swallowed and didn't think he could get the words out. “Radek, I...I...”

“I know.” Radek squeezed his hand again.

They sat there for a moment, just looking at each other, until Carson and a couple of nurses bustled in and started taking blood pressure and samples and making cryptic remarks to each other about Radek's physical health. Evan got pushed away from the bed, but he could see Radek still looking at him.

It was all right. They were going to be all right.


End file.
